SouthernWorldwide.com – Navy veteran Rocky Rochford, who served for 33 years and attained the rank of commodore, is now embarking on a mission to shift Tampa Bay’s political landscape from blue to red.
He is actively campaigning to unseat the 20-year incumbent, Kathy Castor, in Florida’s 14th congressional district. Rochford has voiced strong criticism of Castor’s legislative record, stating that in two decades, she has only authored two bills that became law, both of which were to rename post offices.
“So in 20 years, Kathy Castor has been the author of two bills that became law. And both of those were to rename post offices. So I would say that Kathy Castor has been ineffective. She hasn’t really helped Tampa Bay in the ways that matter the most. Affordability is probably the biggest thing on everyone’s kitchen table list of discussion points. Gasoline, groceries, electricity, insurance. I mean, the list goes on and on and on.”
Rochford asserts that his extensive leadership experience, honed over decades of military service, has uniquely prepared him to represent the constituents of Tampa Bay effectively from his first day in office.
He believes that leadership is paramount in addressing the challenges faced by the district. Rochford shared his background:
“So it’s about leadership. I have spent my entire adult life…33 years in the Navy, four years at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. I got to go back to the age of 18 for the first time before I was actually part of the military. So, it’s been entrenched in my being, it is in my soul, I’m very strong in my faith.
And I believe that we need someone who is not only going to bring leadership to the process, but is going to bring their faith to the process up in D.C., and be part of the solution. People who are anti the other side, whether it doesn’t matter what side you’re sitting on, when they are against the other side to the point where they won’t even talk to them, that’s problematic. We’re not gonna get anything accomplished, we’re not going to get anything done. And that’s exactly what’s happening up in DC right now, we see a lot of that.”
A significant focus of Rochford’s campaign platform is the protection of children’s rights. He has developed a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at enhancing the safety and well-being of children.
“I have three major bills that are the highlight of what I’ve been working on. And the first is my children’s bill of rights. I do believe that children are the future, and they need to be protected far better than they’re being protected now. So the laws that govern children are written amongst 11 different government agencies. Those agencies don’t overlap and they don’t talk to each other. This bill is designed to create a shield, an organization that oversees all of those laws.
“This covers everything from AI for kids, online predators, and it provides new penalties with teeth. This is we’re going to get after those folks. The predators have been exploiting four different avenues on children across state lines. I’m going to close every one of those doors. Parental rights, no boys in girls sports. I mean, this bill covers adoption. It covers foster care, egg donor, IVF. It is complete.”
Rochford also raised concerns about foreign influence in American elections, specifically pointing to China-based political donor and activist Neville Roy Singham as an example of external interference.
“There’s a lot folks who have nothing to do with the United States…that are influencing our elections, they’re influencing the people…We know that Neville Singham, who’s a U.S. citizen living in Shanghai, is taking money from the CCP to disrupt America from the inside. China calls this the smokeless war, and it really is and and they’re not the only ones.
“Iran is doing the same thing, we know North Korea is involved, Russia so there’s a lot of influence happening in here that are that are causing wreaking havoc but we as a society need to see beyond that. We are one America, and I’m America first. I’m American first before politics, America first before party.”
Rochford stressed that he aims to represent all residents of Florida’s 14th district, regardless of their political affiliation, emphasizing the need for unity and bipartisan cooperation.
“I’m about listening. So I’m here to not only listen to the right, I’m here to listen to the center, and I’m here to listen the left. Because if we can’t come together and find the commonalities that will make us a better country, then we are doomed as a country. So we must support what we’re all after, which is a great America, a great society that takes care of its own and helps around the world.”
He views energy policy and achieving energy independence as fundamental to improving affordability for American workers and families.
“So I’ve been talking about affordability for some time. To me, the foundation of affordability for just about everything runs off of energy. The price of oil drives the price of gas, which is in our trucks, in our trains, in our airplanes, in ships. And so we need to get control. And so one of the bills that I have drafted will propose that…we first have to become energy independent. We’re the largest producer of energy in the world. So our people should be benefiting from it, not hurting from it.”
Addressing the national debt is another critical policy issue for Rochford. He has extensively researched the topic and has outlined a plan designed to eliminate America’s national debt by the 2060s.
“We don’t want to leave a legacy of debt to our children and grandchildren. So I had go back 40 years to try to figure out where this all started, and where we went off the tracks. And I now understand the entire policy. Balancing the budget is only treating a symptom. It does not treat the disease. So the disease is Congress, I’m sorry, but it’s true.
“Every bit of money that comes in that’s extra from Congress goes into the general pool and they spend it. And all of the great ideas that have been used in the past, because I studied them all in the past on how to get after the national debt, balance the budget, the things that’ll help us get there. They were only policy, they were never law. So this suite of bills is law and it has teeth. And so the very first bill will design, it will create a trust and it is the American National Debt Trust. And when the money goes in there, it cannot come out and it cannot be spent by Congress in any other way. So if we enacted [my legislation] it would still take us to the 2060s to retire the national debt if we do nothing and we’re on the path of doing nothing, in 10 years the national debt will be $61 trillion.”
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The primary election in Florida is scheduled for August 18.
